Latest news with #Absa
The Citizen
4 days ago
- Business
- The Citizen
GirlCode Hackathon set to empower women in tech across Africa
What was once a male dominated domain, women are now increasingly making their mark in the tech sector. From classrooms to boardrooms, women are bringing fresh new perspectives. Picture: GirlCode In an ambitious stride towards gender equality and in a world where innovation drives progress, technology continues to shape how we live and work. What was once a male-dominated domain, women are now increasingly making their mark in the tech sector. Taking the lead From classrooms to boardrooms, women are bringing fresh new perspectives, solving complex challenges, and developing solutions that contribute not only to industry growth but also to broader societal impact. In line with this momentum, the annual GirlCodeHack returns on the 11th of October 2025 an expanded footprint across the African continent in partnership with Absa. ALSO READ: Lenovo Robogirl 2022 initiative to upskill women in coding and robotics GirlCode Organised by GirlCode, a social enterprise focused on advancing women in technology, the 2025 edition will take place across seven African cities. The event coincides with the International Day of the Girl Child and aims to create greater access and opportunity for young women aged 18 to 35 through a 30-hour hackathon experience. With a grand prize of R100,000 for the winning team, GirlCodeHack 2025 invites university and college students, as well as recent graduates, to solve problems under the theme: Future-Proofing Africa: Innovation at the Intersection of FinTech, Cybersecurity, and AI. Participants will collaborate in teams of two to four, focusing on real-world challenges and creating impactful, sustainable solutions. Ten million women Founder and CEO of GirlCode, Zandile Mkwanazi, said their mission is to expose 10 million women and girls to technology by 2030. 'By expanding GirlCodeHack across Africa, our goal is to do more than simply encourage more girls to code, but rather to be part of a sisterhood of innovators in the making that is ready to tackle the continent's most pressing issues'. The hackathon will take place simultaneously in the following cities: Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Nairobi, Kampala, Dar es Salaam, and Gaborone. Each location will have seasoned professionals as mentors, providing participants with comprehensive support throughout the event. Entries are now open. Get more info here: ALSO READ: 'Young Women in Tech': Empower your future with free programme
IOL News
5 days ago
- IOL News
Viral TikTok captures arrest of phone thief at ABSA Run Your City Durban
The cell phone thief nabbed on Sunday. Image: screenshot A Durban woman was arrested at the weekend after allegedly stealing cellphones from runners who took part in the ABSA Run Your City Series. The 10km race took place on Sunday, July 13, between Suncoast and Golden Mile. A video of the woman's arrest on TikTok has garnered over 53,400 likes, over 12,000 reposts, and over 1.9 million views. In the 10-second video, the woman who has been arrested is being loaded into the back of a police van. The woman filming the incident can be heard saying: 'Absa race, all our phones got stolen. Look at needs to be banned from the race'. According to one of the victims, the woman had cut bags throughout the race and stolen the cell phones of those running. Police recovered six cell phones in the woman's possession. Victims managed to track down the thief using Apple technology to find their iPhones. The provincial police spokesperson, Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo, confirmed the incident. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading 'Police in Durban Central have arrested a 56-year-old woman for possession of items suspected to be stolen, following an incident in which the woman allegedly stole cell phones on July 13, 2025, on Jelf Taylors Street,' Ngcobo said. The woman has already appeared in court. 'The suspect appeared before the Durban Magistrate's Court on Monday, July 14, 2025, and she was remanded in custody. She is due to appear again before court on July 21, 2025,' Ngcobo said. The race saw 10,000 runners participate. The marathon proudly supports the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) as the official charity of the entire series of events. The next leg of the series will take place in Tshwane on Sunday, August 24, and Johannesburg on Wednesday, September 24. IOL
IOL News
6 days ago
- Business
- IOL News
Empowering Tshwane: 420 beneficiaries complete financial literacy training
EPWP beneficiaries were awarded certificates upon successfully completing the financial education training programme, which was facilitated by Absa in partnership with the City of Tshwane. Image: Supplied / City of Tshwane A total of 420 beneficiaries from the Public Employment Programme (PEP) and Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) have completed a financial education training programme, facilitated by Absa in collaboration with the City of Tshwane. The programme aimed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills to manage and protect their finances effectively, according to Absa's team leader of external sales, Khudisi Makhaga. He said the training empowered participants to educate and protect themselves financially, maximising and securing their financial futures. "Absa is proud to be able to empower residents with financial skills through this programme," he said. The comprehensive training covered key aspects of financial management, including budgeting, wealth creation and growth, credit management, and risk and debt management. Region 3 participants who successfully completed the programme were awarded certificates. Member of Mayoral Committee for Economic Development and Spatial Planning, Sarah Mabotsa, congratulated the participants on completing the programme and expressed gratitude for their contributions to improving and maintaining the city. "The City of Tshwane's multiparty coalition government is committed to enhancing and further advancing the involvement, skills development, and employment opportunities for our residents and especially our youth, women, and persons living with disabilities," she said. She highlighted the significant impact of the PEP and EPWP programmes on the city's functionality, cleanliness, and safety. She said initiatives such as pothole repairs, informal settlement management, cleaning and greening, waste management, and artisan training have made a tangible difference. "The work that our PEP and EPWP participants do is very important for all residents," she said. Tshwane, already recognised as South Africa's safest city, has seen a decline in nearly all crime categories in 2025, according to the SAPS quarterly crime statistics report. Mabotsa attributed this to the city's focus on cleaning public spaces, repairing streetlights and potholes, and other initiatives. "Cleaner, safer neighbourhoods and cities also help to attract more investment, attract more businesses, and this enables the creation of more jobs," she said. She noted that the city's coalition government has prioritised these efforts since taking office in October last year and has allocated budgets accordingly. Mabotsa urged eligible job seekers in Tshwane to register on the city's EPWP database at their nearest regional office or designated application points to ensure a fair and transparent process for allocating PEP and EPWP opportunities. [email protected]
The Citizen
6 days ago
- Business
- The Citizen
More incidents of unexplained debit order activity
Clients need to be 'super alert' at all times. Think twice before sharing your banking details with anyone for any reason. Picture: Sebastian Gollnow/AFP/Getty Images South African bank clients continue to report confusing and unresolved cases involving debit orders they say they did not authorise. Following Moneyweb's recent article on disputed DebiCheck transactions, an Absa customer said she recently received a DebiCheck notification on her banking app for R8 812, which she rejected. After taking a screenshot and logging off, the notification vanished entirely. The request turned out to originate from a mobile service provider and referenced her existing contract number. Neither the bank nor the service provider had any record of the DebiCheck request. 'Ultimately, a customer has to be super alert at all times, which is exhausting to say the least,' she says. ALSO READ: Mystery debit orders leave bank client without answers 'Holistic fraud strategy' In response to Moneyweb's query, Absa notes that its fraud team performs ongoing monitoring and blocks suspicious activity. 'We have also incorporated dark web monitoring into our holistic fraud strategy.' The bank maintains that complaint volumes involving DebiCheck debit orders have remained stable. DebiCheck, introduced in 2017 to curb debit order fraud, requires customers to authorise a debit order mandate before the first collection. Once authorised, transactions should match the original mandate, and customers can dispute unauthorised deductions. Absa says it assists customers in recovering funds if disputes are found to be valid. ALSO READ: DebiCheck will protect you from unauthorised debit orders come 1 May Incident at FNB Another Moneyweb reader reported an incident involving his wife's FNB account, which was debited by a mobile service provider without her prior authorisation. 'There was no record of her ever signing such a debit order, nor was she asked by FNB to verify or authorise the transaction,' he says. Ravi Shunmugam, CEO of FNB EFT, told Moneyweb there have been instances where customers raised concerns about unauthorised debit orders. 'However, in these circumstances, we found that the customer's information had been compromised outside of the banking environment.' ALSO READ: Reserve bank teaches customers about AC DebiCheck He stressed that FNB takes these matters seriously and conducts a full investigation. The bank assists customers in disputing the debit order and placing a 'stop payment' on the account. The matter is then escalated to the sponsoring bank and the service provider. Customers can also report fraud directly via the FNB app by uploading an affidavit, a copy of their ID, and a bank statement reflecting the disputed debit order. 'DebiCheck has many validation and compliance requirements prior to the debit order being processed and [it] is always checked against the mandate that the customer has authorised prior to the debit order being processed.' Shunmugam says FNB has not recorded any incidents of internal fraud involving debit orders and customer accounts to date. 'We perform all relevant due diligence and compliance checks.' ALSO READ: Mystery R99 debit hits SA accounts 'Questionable' sales processes Shunmugam cautions that the problem may lie with service providers when the origination process takes place in a 'sales environment outside of the bank'. 'These sales or contracting processes can be questionable.' Moneyweb has seen consumer reports on social media alleging that third-party sales agents – often for products such as insurance – asked them to swipe their bank cards and enter their PINs at point-of-sale devices under the pretext of 'affordability checks'. Some later discovered they had unintentionally authorised a debit order, which proved difficult to cancel. Shunmugam encourages clients to remain vigilant and carefully evaluate what they are agreeing to before sharing their banking details. He adds that debit order compromises likely occur during the sales or contracting process – when clients share their details with third parties – rather than through the bank or payment system. This article was republished from Moneyweb. Read the original here.
IOL News
14-07-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Pityana prepares for another legal showdown with Absa and SA Reserve Bank
Sipho Pityana said the judgment is a win not just for me, but for the integrity of our financial system and the rule of law in South Africa. Former Absa board member Sipho Pityana is bracing for another bruising battle with the bank as well as the South African Reserve Bank (Sarb) in the court of law in his fight for reform in the banking sector. This comes as Absa and the Sarb's Prudential Authority (PA) both filed applications for leave to appeal the Pretoria High Court ruling last month that vindicated Pityana in his claim that the PA broke the law in interfering with his possible nomination as Absa chair in 2021. The PA controversially consulted with third parties regarding his suitability for the chairperson role, particularly following inquiries into his resignation from AngloGold Ashanti amid allegations of sexual harassment - claims he firmly denies. The court found that the PA acted unlawfully by adopting an informal process to review Pityana's nomination, as prescribed by the regulations in place under the Banks Act. Pityana's legal battle began when he sought a declaratory order against the PA, claiming they had operated outside the legal framework established for such considerations. He did not seek any relief against Absa. However, Absa said it would take the judgment on review. 'After careful consideration of the 13 June 2025 High Court judgement, Absa will respectfully seek leave to appeal. It should be noted that the Court made no findings against Absa, save to order that it was jointly liable with the Prudential Authority for the applicant's costs,' Absa told Business Report on Monday. The court's judgment, delivered by Judge Flatela Luleka last month, established that the PA had indeed overstepped its bounds by failing to follow established protocols, thus denying Pityana the opportunity to contest objections to his appointment. 'The [PA] acted unlawfully and in excess of its power per the Banks Act 94 of 1990 by engaging in an informal process with the [Absa Group] and [Absa Bank] in connection with the nomination of [Pityana] as chairperson of the [Absa Group] and [Absa Bank's] board of directors, and in particular by notifying the [Absa Group] and [Absa Bank] of its objection, alternative intention to object to [Pityana's] nomination,' read the judgment. PA spokesperson, Thoraya Pandy, also confirmed on Monday that the PA is going back to court on the matter. 'Yes you are right, we have lodged an appeal. The documents are in the public domain and you can reach out to the courts for it, as we do not share it directly to anyone,' Panday said. Speaking with Business Report last month, Pityana said the case had raised serious concerns regarding the independence of the Sarb and also urged for a formal investigation into what he describes as "cosy relationships" between key figures in the banking sector. He said the judgement raised a number of new questions in terms of transparency, good governance and ethical conduct in the financial sector's regulatory environment, as well as accountability when laws are broken. On Monday, Pityana said there was nothing really surprising about these applications for leave to appeal. 'The more curious one is why Absa is appealing the judgement when no finding is made against them. Indeed, why are they spending so much resources on a case in which they are cited only as an interested party. It already speaks to collusive behaviour,' Pityana said. Pityana's legal battle extends beyond this ruling; he is also contesting his removal from the Absa board through separate legal proceedings. BUSINESS REPORT
